UTMB Announces Continued International Expansion | Sports Destination Management

UTMB Announces Continued International Expansion

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Mar 14, 2019

UTMB® International, the international division of the world-renowned Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), is pleased to announce a new spring 2019 UTMB International ultramarathon trail race in Ushuaia, Argentina. USHUAIA by UTMB® will be held April 5-7, 2019, and will offer 4 distances covering 35 – 130 km over an inspiring and formidable landscape that has come to be known as the “End of the World.”

USHUAIA by UTMB® will take runners into remote corners of the southernmost reaches of the South American continent. The city of Ushuaia, Argentina literally exists at the “end of the road” and borders the world-renowned Tierra del Fuego National Park. Trails will traverse technical terrain, diverse landscapes, and a range of climates. Runners should expect to be prepared to encounter 4-seasons of weather in a single day (temps ranging from 60 – 30 Fahrenheit are typical), long and exposed climbs, and “semi-autonomous” trail running.

Over the past 15 years, UTMB Mont-Blanc has become a bucket list international running event known to attract a spectrum athletes and exhibit beautiful landscapes, challenging trails, and top notch race execution. UTMB International was created to expand the UTMB brand across the globe and offer UTMB-quality race opportunities to a greater number of athletes.

Race Registration is Now Open:

https://ushuaiabyutmb.com/en/corredores/

Ushuaia by UTMB®  Race Distances:

  • Fin del Mundo Ultra (FMU): 130 km / 8200 meters of vertical gain

  • Five Brothers Trail (FBT): 70 km / 5400 meters of vertical gain

  • La Cloche Trail (LCT): 50 km / 3000 meters of vertical gain

  • Esmeralda Lagoon Trail (ELT): 35 km / 2400 meters of vertical gain

Services for Runners and Support Teams:

To improve the race experience for runners and support teams and to maximize participant safety, Ushuaia by UTMB organizers will make the following services available:

LiveTrail: The tool for following the runners, to estimate the times of passage, to provide the list of favorites, interactive race profiles, comparisons between runners, live coverage of race leaders and of course the live results.

LiveInfo: The reference app for accompanying persons and supporters on the ground. Look for a runner, follow the race leader, estimate the time of passage through the next checkpoint, list of favorites, notifications of times of passage in real time.

UTMB Qualifying Points:

ITRA points obtained on all Ushuaia by UTMB® courses will be valid for three years (instead of two) for the UTMB® MONT-BLANC lottery. Additionally, finishers of the longer course (130km) will gain a year in the registration process if they are interested to participate in the 2020 UTMB® MONT-BLANC. Every UTMB® event finisher will double their chances in the lottery if registering for the first time, or will be guaranteed a spot if they were unsuccessful when trying to register for the prior year’s edition.

Ushuaia Argentina + Tierra del Fuego National Park:

Ushuaia has a variety of hotel facilities, from the hostel to the five-star palace, to the bed and breakfast. With an international airport located in the center of Ushuaia, Buenos Aires is just a 3-hour direct flight away. The city of Ushuaia will host the start and finish for every race, as well as all event festivities.

From Ushuaia, it is advisable to extend your trip to visit Tierra del Fuego National Park. Sailboats and ships make it possible to tour the Beagle Channel to view cormorants, Magellanic penguins, sea lions on the surrounding islands, to discover the glaciers of the Darwin mountain range, or visit the infamous Cape Horn.

Interview with Daniel Catania, Race Director of USHUAIA by UTMB®:

USHUAIA by UTMB will be a truly special trail running event which takes runners into the remote and wild areas of the “End of the World”. As the other events of the UTMB® calendar, this event is based on the runners’ semi autonomy.

Climbs are long and at times exposed, requiring runners to be confident in altitude. The climate in the southern mountains of the Andes (1.000 to 1.500 meters high) is similar to the one that can be found in the Alps at 2.500-3.000 meters high. April temperatures during daytime may reach 10-15°C in the valleys. In the mountains, where most of the trail is located, it is much lower, and runners might find themselves experiencing the four seasons of the year in just one day. Temperatures below freezing may be expected at night, so runners will need to equip accordingly.

In short, it will be a technical trail, with big “ups and downs”, diverse geographies, changing landscapes and an oscillating climate.

The FMU participants will face such a wild and vast landscapes that they will feel like running a 160 km, instead of the real 130 km. The race will cross over more than eight mountains, using passages like “The French” or “The Tristen”, with amazing views on the “Cortez” mountain, the “Esmeralda” Lagoon and the huge “Fagnano” lake.

As for the FBT, the circuit will allow runners to admire the Beagle Channel and be able to know another iconic place – the “Five Brothers” mountain.

In the LCT, the runners will appreciate the “Middle Hill”, the “Bonete” and “La Cloche” mountain, with its bell shape. They will also go through different passages with unique view while they finally approach the City of Ushuaia.

In the ELT, runners will be able to use some “secret” passages close to the “Cortez” mountain, the “Middle Hill” among others. Like the other circuits, it offers incredible landscapes while experimenting running along paths characterized amazing views of the oceans, rivers, forests, mountains, lagoons and, finally, the City.

About UTMB® International

UTMB International is an organization that was created to help spread the influence of the world-renowned ultra-trail running race, UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc), worldwide. Over the next ten years the organization plans to work with international partners to establish major events on every continent. The goal is to organize summits embracing local traditions while maintaining the professional standards of the original UTMB. Each event will take place in a mountainous region and will feature multiple formats to attract athletes of all abilities.

UTMB Race Schedule:

  •     OMAN by UTMB®: November 29 – December 1, 2018

  •     USHUAIA by UTMB®: April 5-7, 2019

  •     UTMB® Mont-Blanc: August 26 to September 1, 2019

  •     OMAN by UTMB®: Fall 2019

  •    GAOLIGONG by UTMB®: March 21-23, 2020

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